Lecture3美国文学选读

1、 American LiteraturePart TwoThe Romantic Period (1800-1865) oThe coming in of Spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age. - Henry D. ThoreauStudy PointsoNew England TranscendentalismoRalph Waldo EmersonoHenry David ThoreauAmerican Transcendentalism （1836

2、-1855）o1. The first American intellectual movement to inspire a number of literary classicso2. It stresses the unity of beingViewing God, man and nature as sharers in a universal soulOversoul天地与我共生，万物与我为一天地与我共生，万物与我为一 庄庄子子 Leading Transcendentalistso1. Ralph Waldo Emerson the leadero2. Henry David T

3、horeau the doerWhat do they do?o1. Talk and discuss intellectual companionship and interestso2. Work living closer to nature and dignity of manual laboro3. Believe human rights are divine in their righto4. Write The Dial (1840-1844)o5. Reform human rights, womens rights, social changesRalph Waldo Em

4、ersono“Father of American Essay”oLeader and spokesman of New England TranscendentalismoEssayist, poet, philosopher, orator, critic Ralph Waldo Emerson （1803-1882）oA. born in a clergymans family in New EnglandoB. graduated from HarvardoC. became a minister to the Second Church of Boston, but not for

5、longoD. left the job as minister, went to Europe and met Coleridge and Wordsworth and made friends with them, and brought back the influence of European RomanticismoE. founded a Transcendentalists Club and published a journal, The DialoF. became the most eloquent spokesman of TranscendentalismMajor

6、WorksoJournals and speeches are the forms of communication most natural to Emerson. His essays are usually derived from lectures he had already delivered.oNature (1836)oThe American Scholar (1837)oSelf-Reliance (1841)oThe Over-Soul (1841)oThe Poet (1844)Works that have changed Americanso1. Nature 论自

7、然论自然oThe Bible of American TranscendentalismoForceful romantic individualism that places man over nature, and identifies him with God.Natureo1. In the woods, we return to reason and faith.o2. A nobler want of man is served by nature, namely, the love of Beauty.o3. Nature is the vehicle of thought.o4

8、. Nature is the symbol of spirit.Works that have changed Americanso2. The American Scholar 美国学者美国学者oThe American Intellectual Declaration of IndependenceoEmerson called on Americans to write about in an American way instead of imitating and importing from other countries.oThe speech ended the foreig

9、n domination of thought and art in the New World.oIt announced an American Renaissance.The American ScholaroThe scholar is that man who must take up into himself all the ability of the time, all the contributions of the past, all the hopes of the future. He must be an university of knowledge.oWe will walk on our own feet; we will work our own hands; we will speak our own minds.The Importance of Emersons Historical StatusoA. He embodied a new nations desire and struggle to assert its own identity in its formative period.oB. His aesthetics marked th